New Zealand Fly Fishing Itineraries and Travel
December is a transitional month for insect life in New Zealand. It is the time of the year when spring truly transitions into the beginning of summer, bringing warmer temperatures and increased insect activity. Anglers at this time of the year can expect to target fish with a variety of fly patterns, including dries (which imitate terrestrial insects) as well as nymphs (which imitate aquatic insects).
Below is some input on hooks and a few flies that you may encounter at this time of the year. As a tip: you don’t have to worry about brining your own flies to New Zealand! The guide will have these for you and often, will prefer to use their own flies… because they know what works! However, if you are interested to tie your own or see what is popular, have a look below!

Hook Selection:
Whatever you do, prioritize strong hooks and barbs!
Hookless barbs don’t have much of a place in New Zealand given the strength of New Zealand trout. The combination of low density and larger fish means every time you are put onto one you want to have every advantage you can get to land it! A few specifics for hooks include:
Dry Flies
At the outset of summer terrestrial insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and cicadas will become more prevalent.
Nymphs: December also brings insect hatches like mayflies and caddisflies. Here are a few flies that one may encounter:
We hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post and learning about the beauty and a few fun attractions oo the West Coast.
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